X-ray tube mount



Jam, 28 19360 E. F2. GOLDFIELD ET AL.

X-RAY TUBE MOUNT Filed Dec. 10, 1934 INVENTOR? EDWIN F1. GOLDF'IELD Z CAPERTON B. HORSLEY A Z'TO E155 Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE X-RAY TUBE MOUNT tion of New York Application December 10, 1934, Serial No. 756,780

2 Claims.

This invention relates to means for mounting an X-ray tube as for therapy purposes, and contemplates a tube involving oil immersion in its operation.

Obviously, great precaution is necessary to provide proper electrical insulation for such a tube, particularly directed toward preventing any of the frame work of the mounting apparatus from becoming live. In therapy employment it is necessary that the tube position be adjustable, that its rays may be directed as desired, so that the problem of insulation is a difiicult one.

The objects of this invention are to provide a novel tube mount of simple yet effective design,

to provide ample insulation while permitting tube adjustment, and particularly to permit rotative tube adjustment without flexure of high tension cables. A further object of the invention is to make provision for convenient tube replacement when that is necessary.

Ihe exact nature of this invention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is a typical horizontal section showing pertinent parts illustrative of the invention.

With reference now to the drawing, I represents the tube having the usual anode 2 and cathode 3. 4 is the shell of a generally cylindrical base means containing the tube, 4a being a lead cylinder for X-ray protection. 5 represents supporting means for the base means and 6 is an insulator for a high tension, cable 1 for the corresponding end of the tube. That the tube l with its base means 4 be adjustable as a unit about the axis A-A of the tube, it is rotatably mounted in its supporting means 5, which in turn is usually mounted for adjustment about an axis B-B in a common plane with the axis A--A, central of the anode or target 2 of the tube. Thus it will be apparent that although but the left-hand half or anode end of the parts, has been specifically illustrated, the mounting parts being generally symmetrical with respect to the axis BB, the

' arrangement of the cathode end parts will be familiar to one skilled in the art.

Details of the mounting of the tube I in its base means 4 are not particularly material here but are shown as including an adjustable collar 8 of insulating and X-ray-proof material. A large insulator 9 of high dielectric strength is arranged at the end of the tubular base member 4 to close and seal the end against leakage of the cooling liquid. This insulator 9 has a skirt Iii extending around the end of the tube, and a sealing ring I I is arranged to cut off flow between the bottom of the skirt and the cylinder 4. The cylinder is perforated on opposite sides of the sealing ring II as at I2 and I3, and a fitting l4 having an inlet connection I5 and an outlet connection I6 is disposed over these openings I2 and I3 and about the cylinder 4 to provide flow of cooling oil as indicated by the arrows in the drawing, the insulator 9 being drilled as at I! for the purpose.

The base tube 4 is provided adjacent its end with a collar I8, bearing in the supporting means 5 as at I 9, to permit adjustment of the base with its contained tube, upon the supporting means, about the axis A-A.

The insulator 6 which may be moulded of high dielectric material, contains contactor means located on the axis A-A and connected with the lead I, cooperative with contactor means in the insulator 9 as at 20, these contactors cooperative at 29 having associated spring means acting along the axis A--A to insure and maintain contact therebetween.

To prevent electrical leakage at the end of the tube and particularly from the contactor means 20, the insulators 6 and 9 are provided with parts interengaging with bafiie effect; the interengaging parts being arranged concentric of the axis AA to permit the described rotational adjustment of the insulator 9, upon the tube base unit, with respect to the insulator 6 which is relatively stationary.

Such bafile means includes the cylindrical neck part So on the insulator 9, extending within the sleeve part So on the insulator 6, and particularly includes, thereabout, radially extending flange means such as threads on the insulators interengaging at 2|. The threads 2| are very effective in connecting the insulators structurally and at the same time are very eificient as a bafile device in preventing electrical leakage.

The insulator 6 is enclosed within a casing 22. For preventing rotation of the insulator 6 about the axis A-A, a pin 23 is mounted upon this casing 22 and extends within openings in the supporting means 5. Since if the flange means be in the illustrated form of threads 2|, some slight relative motion between the insulators 6 and 9 will result as the tube base unit is rotated about the axis A, the fit of the pin 23 in its openings in the supporting means 5 is sufficiently loose to permit endwise sliding of the pin.

Obviously the endwise motion between the insulators at the threads 2I will be very slight since the desired adjustment for the tube base unit 4 "will ordinarily be in the neighborhood of 180 to prevent electricalleakage, and said insulators about the axis AA; and the spring means asso- V ciated with contactors at 20 will have ample capacity to maintain contact through such range.

While it is not particularly material whether the threads 2| be left-hand or right-hand or whether they run the same or difl-e'rently at the opposite ends of the tube, it may be preferable for manufacturing reasons that they have the same direction.

It will be apparent that replacement of the X- ray tube when necessary, may be conveniently accomplished, after draining off the cooling liquid from the tube base unit. 7

What we claim is:

1. Mounting means for an X-ray tube comprising generally cylindrical base means containing said tube, means supporting said base means intermediate its ends for rotatable adjustment about the tube axis, said base means having at its end an insulator for the corresponding tube end, a corresponding relatively stationary insulator, said insulators having interengaging parts arranged concentrically about said axis to permit said adjustment and cooperative with baffle effect having electrical leads for said tube end, with cooperative contactors at said axis, and means associating said relatively stationary insulator with said base supporting means to prevent rotation of the former about said axis.

2. Mounting means for an X-ray tube comprising generally cylindrical base means containing said tube, means supporting said base means intermediate its ends for rotatable adjustment about the tube axis, said base means having at its end an insulator for the corresponding tube end, a corresponding relatively stationary insul'a tor, said insulators having parts in threaded rela-- tion concentric about said axis to permit said adjustment and cooperative with bailie effect to prevent electricaljleakage from said tube, and said insulators having electrical leads for said tube end with cooperative contactors at said axis, and means associating said relatively stationary insulator with said base supporting means to prevent rotation of the former about said axis but permitting it motion lengthwise of said axis.

EDWIN R. GOLDFIELD.

CAPER'I'ON B. HORSLEY. 

